Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc voiced his expectations on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the former governor general tasked with investigating foreign interference in the recent federal election announced his resignation from his post as special rapporteur.
LeBlanc said opposition parties should be able to join forces and help the government figure out what comes next, noting they have demonstrated an ability to work together on foreign interference issues. over the past few months. This includes meeting to pass a non-binding motion in the House of Commons that called on David Johnston to step down as special rapporteur.
Mr Johnston agreed on Friday to step down by the end of the month, citing the highly partisan atmosphere around his job, having previously sworn it would not deter him.
“They all voted for an NDP motion last week that said the government should consult with opposition parties, and that’s exactly what the Prime Minister asked me to do yesterday, and what I hope to do tonight, tomorrow and this week,” said Mr. Leblanc during a press conference.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was absent from Ottawa on Saturday due to a surprise visit to Ukraine. But Mr. LeBlanc maintained that Mr. Trudeau had formally asked him to consult with experts and the opposition parties on the next steps, whether to continue the work started by Mr. Johnston or to hold a public inquiry. as members of the opposition have long demanded.
He said he wants them to come up with a list of people who might be investigating, along with suggested warrants, a timeline and ideas on how best to protect classified top secret information under security laws. existing.
“Really, we are waiting for their suggestions, and now is the time for them to get serious,” LeBlanc said, adding that the government does not want to find itself in the same “impasse” where opposition parties can scuttle a process.
A request from the opposition
All parties agree that the results of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections were not compromised, but they still say that a public inquiry is the only way for Canadians to have confidence in their electoral system.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh did not say if he was ready to work with opposition parties to find a solution, but praised the Liberal government for finally heeding the parties’ demand for a public inquiry .
“We have always said that the process should be independent, public and transparent. A public inquiry is the only way forward,” Singh said in a statement on Saturday.
Mr. Singh stressed that any public inquiry must be conducted by a judge who has no connection to the Liberal Party or the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and who has also refrained from donating to a federal political party during the at least the last decade.
The Conservative Party has said it will discuss further details of an independent public inquiry once the government announces one.
“The only ones causing problems are the Liberals with the support of their NDP coalition partners,” said Sebastian Skamski, spokesperson for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, in a statement on Saturday.
He referred to the agreement that the two parties have reached until 2025. This agreement allows the Liberals to retain power until then, but it is not a coalition, because the New Democrats are not have no cabinet seats and are not expected to line up — even if these are not votes of confidence.
“From the beginning, the Liberals […] treated Beijing’s interference in our democracy as a farce,” Skamski added.
A public inquiry first excluded
Mr. Johnston, whom Mr. Trudeau appointed to investigate alleged interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, had ruled out holding a public inquiry into the matter, creating a rift with opposition leaders.
Mr Johnston said a public inquiry was not the right course because making secret information public would risk shattering the trust of Canada’s security allies and endangering intelligence sources.
Mr. Trudeau said he would follow Mr. Johnston’s recommendation and insisted that a public inquiry was never on the table for his government.
“All options are on the table. We commissioned David Johnston to write the report he wrote and make recommendations. He did a great job, and we are now looking at the next steps,” Trudeau said from Ukraine on Saturday.
Mr. Johnston released a report on foreign interference last month that revealed significant shortcomings in how the federal government handles intelligence on alleged foreign interference.
At a House of Commons committee meeting, Johnston said the problem of foreign interference was growing in Canada and the government’s ability to adapt was not keeping pace.
He warned parliamentarians that the matter needed to be dealt with quickly.
Mr. LeBlanc blamed opposition parties for creating a “toxic environment” that ultimately pushed Mr. Johnston out. He expressed concern that finding someone to take over as watchdog against foreign interference or lead a public inquiry could be difficult.
“Many prominent Canadians will naturally be reluctant to volunteer to undertake this kind of work when they see what the opposition parties did to the Right Honorable David Johnston,” said Mr. LeBlanc.
“If we can turn the partisan heat down and have a serious conversation…we can find a prominent Canadian to lead this next public phase of engagement.” And quickly. We are not looking for delays. »